From tending cattle to longest-serving Karnataka CM: Siddaramaiah’s political journey explained

Siddaramaiah is set to step down as Karnataka chief minister today, paving the way for his deputy, DK Shivakumar, to take over.

Siddaramaiah is scheduled to address a press conference in Bengaluru at 3 PM. He will fly to Delhi again after the presser, according to his office.

Siddaramaiah's resignation could finally bring an end to months of speculation over a leadership change in the Congress government in Karnataka.

Earlier in the day the 77-year-old Congress veteran hosted DK Shivakumar and other cabinet colleugues for a breakfast at his Kaveri residence. Visuals shared by the Congress party from the meeting reflected camaraderie between the leaders, with Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar exchanging hugs.

“That day, this day, forever… Unity is our strength! Public service is our eternal commitment!,” a post on X accompanying pictures of the two leaders said.

Siddaramaiah is Karnataka’s longest-serving CM. Siddaramaiah, who is also the only CM after Urs to complete five years, was in the office for 1,829 days in his first term from 13 May 2013 to 15 May 2018.

In his second term so far, since 20 May 2023, he has completed over three years, 1105 days to be precise on Thursday, 28 May.

Devraj Urs, considered an icon of social justice and land reforms in the state, served as a two-term chief minister, holding office for 2,113 days from 20 March 1972 to 31 December 1977, and for 679 days in his second term from 28 February 1978 to 7 January 1980.

Siddaramaiah is also only the third Chief Minister in Karnataka’s history — after S Nijalingappa and D Devaraj Urs — to complete a full five-year term and return to lead the State for a second, though non-consecutive, tenure which is likely to be truncated soon.

The leadership tussle within the ruling party had intensified amid speculation about a possible change of chief minister after the Congress government completed the halfway mark of its five-year term on 20 November 2025.

“I was forced to discontinue my education for some time due to difficult circumstances at home, and because of this, I was asked to tend the cattle. But the teachers of my village school recognised my interest towards studies, which helped me to directly get admitted to IV standard,” the veteran Congress leader wrote in 'The Journey of My Life' on the Karnataka government website.

After primary and secondary education in my native village, Siddaramaiah went to Mysore for college. He studied science and law and earned a BSc degree and a Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree from the University of Mysore.

“My father wanted me to become a doctor, but I chose a different path. However, destiny had other plans,” he writes.

Apart from being the chief minister, Siddaramaiah held several important ministerial positions in the Karnataka government, including Finance Minister and Deputy Chief Minister.

In 2013, he led the Congress to a major victory in the state elections and became the Chief Minister of Karnataka. He was the first CM in 40 years to complete a full 5-year term (2013–2018).

Ten years later, Siddaramaiah returned as Chief Minister again in May 2023 after the Congress party won the Karnataka assembly elections.

A central figure in Karnataka politics since the mid-1980s, Siddaramaiah is known for having navigated the state’s complex political landscape through carefully crafted social alliances and a governance model centred on welfare and inclusivity.

State politics aside, Siddaramaiah lost both Lok Sabha elections he contested — from Mysuru in 1980 and Koppal in 1991.